160

fall and rising of many.” 5.126 For on his account the .... and carnal fall, so that rising according to the holiness of God they may be shown to be safe, firmly established in faith and the remaining virtues, according to what was written by the Apostle to the churchmen: “By faith you stand.” And this standing comes from the Savior Jesus; for it is from him that one may learn when he says: “There are some of those standing here who will not taste death.” 5.127 Those who are thus benefited cast off the carnal mind and the eyes that see wickedly, so that they may no longer be in the flesh, but in the spirit, and no longer live wickedly and adulterously, but virtuously and soberly, by the spirit putting to death the deeds of the body and turning their eyes from vanity, lifting them to God so as to say: “To you I have lifted up my eyes, who dwell in heaven,” and again: “My eyes are ever toward the Lord.” 5.128 In accordance with the interpretation given, one must try to understand what was said in the Gospel by our Savior, uttered thus: “For judgment I came into the world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” For when the eyes that see sinfully are deprived of seeing wickedly, there will be a bestowal of sight for seeing rightly and holily. 5.129 It is possible also to apply another meaning to the Gospel. Since the Jews, disbelieving in the Lord, blasphemed impiously, it was fitting that they be blinded, according to what was said in the prophet: “The servants of God were blinded,” those falsely professing to serve him; when this happened, those from the nations called to faith received sight, when he came who had said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me; he has sent me to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,” enlightening them with his own wisdom, according to what is written: “A man’s wisdom will light up his face.” 5.130 To this must be taken also what is declared in the Psalms: “The Lord makes the blind wise,” so that they might no longer be shown to be blind but seeing sharply, when the eyes that see wickedly have been hindered, having fallen out of their own sockets, so that in their place may be introduced into the same sockets—and these are the natural concepts—the eyes that see God. These eyes a man lifts to him, like the one who says: “To you I have lifted up my eyes, who dwell in heaven.” 5.131 When the flesh whose mind is enmity toward God has melted away and the eyes that see impiously have been drawn out of the sockets we have interpreted, so that those who see sharply may be shown, about whom the Apostle writes the passage that goes thus: “the eyes of your heart enlightened,” it is harmoniously said also that the tongue melts in the mouth of those who have deceitful speech and speech about material things, so that what is said by the wise man to the master of all may come to be: “My tongue will meditate on your righteousness alone.” 5.132 Zach. XIV, 13-14: And on that day there shall be a great panic from the Lord upon them, and each one will seize the hand of his neighbor. And his hand will be entwined with the hand of his neighbor. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem and shall gather the wealth of all the nations round about, gold and silver and garments in great abundance. 5.133 On the day in which what the prophet taught was accomplished, a great panic from the Lord upon them, the Lord having provided it, with 'panic' here signifying amazement at the madness and frenzy. For indeed in the prophet Hosea what is written: “The sons of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they shall be amazed at the Lord and at his good things,” signifies amazement, or, as some have said, wonder. 5.134 Of the same meaning

160

πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν.» 5.126 Αὐτοῦ γὰρ χάριν πίπτουσιν οἱ ···· καὶ σαρκικ̣οί, ἵνα ἀναστάντες κατὰ ἁγιότητα τ̣οῦ Θεοῦ ἀσφαλεῖς ἀποδειχθῶσιν, ἐν τῇ πίστει καὶ λοιπῇ ἀρετῇ β̣εβαίω̣ς ἑδρασθέντες, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς· «Τῇ πίστει ἑστήκατε.» Αὕτη δὲ ἡ στάσις παρὰ τῷ Σωτῆρι Ἰησοῦ γίν̣εται· πρὸς γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἔστι μαθεῖν λέγοντος· «Εἰσί τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστηκότων οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου.» 5.127 Οἱ οὕτω ὠφεληθέντες ἀποβάλλουσιν τὸ σαρκικὸν̣ φρόνημα καὶ τοὺς κακῶς ὁρῶντας ὀφθαλμούς, ἵνα μηκέτι ὦσιν ἐν σαρκί, ἀλλ' ἐν πνεύματι, καὶ μηκέτι ζῶσιν πονηρῶς καὶ μοιχικῶς, ἀλλ' ἐναρέτως καὶ σωφρόνως, πνεύματι τὰς πράξεις τοῦ σώματος θανατοῦντες καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀποστρέφοντες ἀπὸ τῆς ματαιότητος πρὸς Θεὸν αὐτοὺς αἴροντες ὥστ' ἀνειπεῖν· «Πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου τὸν κατοικοῦντα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ», καὶ πάλιν· «Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διὰ παντὸς πρὸς τὸν Κύριον.» 5.128 Καταλλήλως τῇ ἀποδοθείσῃ θεωρίᾳ ἐκλαβεῖν πειρατέον τὸ λεχθὲν ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, οὕτω προενεχθέν· «Εἰς κρίμα ἐγὼ ἦλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ἵνα οἱ μὴ βλέπ̣οντες βλέψωσιν καὶ οἱ βλέποντες τ̣υφλοὶ γένωνται.» Τῶν γὰρ ἁμαρτητικῶς ὁρώντων ὀφθαλμῶν στερεθέντω̣ν̣ τοῦ κακῶς βλέπ̣ειν, ὀμμ̣άτω̣σις ἔσται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀρθῶς καὶ ὁσίως ὁρᾶν. 5.129 ∆υνατὸν καὶ ἑτέρᾳ νοήσει ἐπιβαλεῖν τῷ Εὐαγγελι´̣ῳ. Ἐπεὶ ἀπιστοῦντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀσεβῶς ἐβλ̣ασφήμουν̣, ἥρμοζεν τυφλωθῆναι αὐτούς, κατὰ τὸ ἐν προφήτῃ λεχθέν· «Ἐτυφλώθησαν οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ», οἱ ψευδῶς ἐπαγγελλόμενοι δουλεύειν αὐτῷ· οὗ συμβάντος, ἀνέβλεψαν οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς πίστιν κληθέντες, ἐληλυθότος τοῦ φήσαντος· «Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐπ' ἐμέ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέν με, εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοὺς ἀπέστ̣αλκέν με, κηρῦξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν», φωτίσας αὐτοὺς σοφίᾳ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· «Σοφία ἀνθρώπου φωτιεῖ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ.» 5.130 Ἐπ' αὐτὸ ληπτέον καὶ τὸ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς ἀπαγγελθέν· «Κύριος σοφοῖ τυφλούς», ἵνα μηκέτι τυφλοὶ ἀλλ' ὀξὺ κα̣θορῶντες ἀποδειχθῶσιν, ἐμποδισθέντων τῶν πονηρῶς ὁρώντων ὀφθαλμῶν ἐκπεπτωκότων ἐκ τῶν ὀπῶν ἑαυτῶν, ἵν' ἀντεισαχθῶσιν ἀντίοι εἰς τὰς αὐτὰς ὄπας- αὗται δ' εἰσὶν αἱ φυσικαὶ ἔννοιαι-οἱ τὸν Θεὸν ὁρῶντες ὀφθαλμοί. Τούτους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς πρὸς αὐτὸν αἴρει ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὡσαύτως τῷ λέγοντι· «Πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τ̣οὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου τὸν κατοικοῦντα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ.» 5.131 Τακεισῶν τῶν σαρκῶν ὧν τὸ φρόνημα ἔχθρα εἰς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ τῶν ἀσεβῶς ὁρώντων τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ῥυέντων ἐκ τῶν ἡρμηνευμένων ὀπῶν, ἐπὶ τὸ ἀποδειχθῆναι τοὺς ὀξὺ καθορῶντας, περὶ ὧν ὁ Ἀπόστολος γράφει τὴν ἔχουσαν λέξιν οὕτως· «Πεφωτισμένοι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας», ἁρμονίως εἴρηται καὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν τακῆναι ἐν τῷ στόματι τῶν ἐχόντων δολερὸν καὶ περὶ ὑλικῶν πραγμάτων λόγον, ἵνα ὑπαρχθῇ τὸ λεγόμ̣ενον ὑπὸ τοῦ σοφοῦ τῷ δεσπ̣ότῃ τῶν ὅλων· «Ἡ γλῶσσά μου μελετήσει τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου μόνου.» 5.132 Zach. XIV, 13-14: Καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἔκστασις Κυρίου ἐπ' αὐτοὺς μεγάλη, καὶ ἐπιλήμψεται ἕκαστος τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ συμπλακήσεται ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς χεῖρα τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὁ Ἰούδας παρατάξεται ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ συνάξει τὴν ἰσχὺν πάντων τῶν λαῶν κυκλόθεν, χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον καὶ ἱματισμὸν εἰς πλῆθος σ̣φόδρα. 5.133 Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐν ᾑ῀̣ κατωρθώθη ἃ ἐδίδαξεν ὁ προφήτης, ἔκστασις Κυρίου ἐπ' αὐτοὺς μεγάλη, τοῦ Κυρίου παρασχόντος αὐτήν, τῆς ἐκστάσεως ἐνταῦθα τὸν θαυμασμὸν δη̣λούσης διὰ τὴν παρακοπὴν καὶ παραφροσύνην. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ προφήτῃ Ὠσῆε τὸ γεγραμμένον· «Ἐπιστρέψουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐπιζητήσουσιν Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ∆αυὶδ τὸν βασιλέα αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐκστήσονται ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς αὐτοῦ», θαυ̣μασμὸν δηλοῖ, ἤ, ὥς τινες εἶπον, θαυμασιότητα. 5.134 Τῆς αὐτῆς νοήσεως